It’s no secret that we all live in a world that suffers from a lack of online privacy with companies and governments spying on your browsing habits. Fortunately there are also other companies who fight on the side of privacy, supplying you with a wide range of solutions to protect your identity and disguise your online steps. VPN companies are frontline fighters in this battle, since their service becomes more of a necessity when surfing online. When using Opera you can browse the internet freely and securely but you should make sure to bring a VPN ally with you so you can not only access geo-blocked content but also encrypt your online information to protect your data from malicious third parties.
Opera is an amusing case among the browser world. Why? Well, even though this underdog holds only a tiny bit of browser market share it is able to compete with the heavyweights of the industry. Many users consider it the safest browser out there, even ahead of Firefox, Internet Explorer or Google Chrome. But how is that possible? First of all, there is a general confusion among users regarding whether or not Opera is a closed or semi-closed source browser. Nevertheless, it’s impossible to deny that Opera has useful security features that can be fully customized at your will to set your own private security settings. Not to mention it features additional extras such as checking websites for malware and phishing schemes, or standard “browser cleaning” options like the ability to manually delete your browsing history and cookies, among other supplements.
The Opera browser itself collects fairly little information and all that data is under an advanced dedicated encryption. This is essentially the commonly seen option to save passwords and cookies among others but, as mentioned, you can manually delete those whenever you like.
Just because Opera enjoys some pretty safe standards that doesn’t mean that it is 100% safe as there are certain threats or privacy issues that the browser cannot help with whatsoever. This is why we recommend the use of a VPN while surfing online with Opera. Although this browser allows you control your own privacy settings, when combining the use of a high-standard VPN your protection level will be significantly improved. Blending the use of a VPN shield with the browser will result in a stronger protection. For example, you can disable your browser’s firewall but leave your VPN active, or use both. The same goes for the other browser-shared features. Also, many VPN providers have proper browser extensions or plugins designed uniquely to join forces with them, helping you more effectively become anonymous and protected in the dangerous internet world.
When using Opera (or any other browser) on mobile devices, you need to be extra careful. This is because you are more likely to connect to a public Wi-Fi network with a smartphone. Doing so brings added danger to the table like data and information theft, plus it is much easier for someone using the same public Wi-Fi spot to spy on you. This is why most VPN providers also support mobile devices and various simultaneous connections so that you can go anywhere with your back protected. Although Opera seems to have conquered the hearts of many customers, it wouldn’t be able to protect you entirely by itself because it can’t control the content that you access. But with the help of responsive apps – that show similar traits to desktop clients – your smartphone or tablet will be under the right protection. Regarding mobile operating systems, the vast majority of VPN providers support the standard ones like Android and iOS and some also offer protection to Windows Phone, too.
There are few bigger names in the security industry than Norton and in November 2018 it quietly rebranded its VPN service from Norton WiFi Privacy to Norton Secure VPN. The company is owned by Symantec, the software giant based in California which has been working with security software since 1982. So, it’s tempting to compare Norton Secure VPN to similar VPNs from anti-virus software companies such as Avast SecureLine and AVG Secure VPN. Norton Secure VPN is an all-round package aiming to keep its customers safe with its bank-level encryption and features an in-built ad tracking blocker. It also allows its users to access blocked websites and can get past Netflix’s stringent VPN blocks. Norton Secure VPN has various price plans to choose from, but customers can try the full product with a 60-day money-back guarantee. So, can Norton now compete with the major names in the VPN industry?
ibVPN specializes in providing invisible browsing VPN’s – in other words, VPN’s that can connect you to the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, France and several other countries regardless of where you live whilst not keeping any activity logs of your usage. This allows you to access geo-restricted services and websites like the BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Zattoo, Netflix, Pandora and many others, while remaining confident that your privacy is never breached. ibVPN, which is the abbreviation of Invisible Browsing VPN, offers private, secure browsing with no activity tracking, no traffic limitation (read: unlimited bandwidth; limited by your internet connection) and unlimited switches between servers.
There’s nothing more zen than the peace of mind that comes from safe and secure online activity, and that’s just what Berlin-based ZenMate aims to provide. But although its intention to befriend VPN beginners rather than experienced users may translate into fewer features, it also means that ZenMate is one of the most user-friendly VPN providers. It covers a vast range of platforms – including software for both computers and mobile devices – and boasts handy extensions for the most popular browsers, tailoring its feature set for each of them and further simplifying its use. However, if there’s one thing that should nudge you to consider ZenMate, it’s the special promotion Best Reviews readers can unlock to earn significant savings and help you reach that zen-like state.
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